PDF files are a great way to share important information. Besides looking nice, PDFs have the added advantages of being secure and maintaining their format despite differences in devices, operating systems, etc.
Although they can be extremely useful, PDFs can also cause headaches. If you’ve had trouble using a PDF editor, read on for some helpful tips.
4 common PDF editor problems anyone can easily solve
People love PDFs for their ease of use and compact nature, which makes it easy to share and store files.
But learning how to edit a PDF can be a bit of a challenge.
Thankfully, most of the gremlins you might encounter with PDF editors are easy to fix.
Difficulty in moving elements
One of the biggest problems you might face when editing a PDF is difficulty moving or editing elements.
Because PDFs were originally designed to be static, moving and changing elements around can be quite difficult.
The best way to go about this is to use a good PDF editor that has drag-and-drop capabilities.
Whether creating your own PDF or editing an existing one, this functionality makes it easier to manipulate any element in a PDF.
Not all PDF editors are created equal. If you want maximum flexibility, then you need to get a PDF editor that will provide room to exercise your design chops.
Funky fonts
One finicky aspect of PDFs is that they are sensitive to font changes. This can sometimes mess up the formatting.
Even if the new font does not affect the formatting, it will still make the document look unprofessional.
Anyone can tackle this hurdle: Just stick to the font that’s already in the PDF.
If you’re unsure what the current font used in the PDF is, you can find out with tools like WhatTheFont. This app can identify fonts from any image.
Issues downloading and saving
You edited the PDF, and it’s ready to be saved and downloaded. But when you click the download button, all of the changes disappear.
This situation is common.
One easy fix is to switch browsers. Some browsers, particularly those that are cloud-based, are known to be incompatible with applications like PDF editors. This causes the editor to be buggy, particularly when it comes to saving work or downloading it.
Switching to a reliable browser, like Chrome or Firefox, should solve this issue.
The PDF editor keeps crashing
Computer crashes were common in the days when people had to run memory-intensive apps straight from their computer’s memory.
Today, with cloud computing, crashes are not that common, but they do happen.
When a PDF editor crashes or freezes, the first thing you should do is clear the cache. This will usually fix the problem.
You may need to reboot a PC after a system error. Both of these actions help clear the system error from the computer’s logs.
If all else fails, contact customer support
PDF editors are in their infancy. Like many other apps that are being constantly being improved, PDF editors can still be quite buggy.
Couple this with the different browsers and devices in use around the world, and there are bound to be some PDF editor problems unique to specific users.
If the issue you’re having isn’t very common, it’s best to contact customer support
That’s why you should take into account a professional PDF editor’s customer support before using it. A PDF editor with great customer support will not come free, but the price will definitely be worth it.
Common PDF problems solved
Master PDF editing, such as how to add a signature to a PDF and you will become the go-to person for everything PDF at the office.
The next time these common problems occur, refer to these simple steps and consider the problem solved.
If you have some other PDF troubleshooting hacks up your sleeve, feel free to share them in the comments section below.
